Last week we talked about why it’s profitable to look for inspiration outside the print finishing industry. Today we’ll share a few easy ways to do that. Whether you’re a folding machine operator or the owner of the company, viewpoints from outside our industry can inspire us and provide ways to make our jobs easier.
In our line of work at Technifold USA we get plenty of print finishing questions. It happens, for example, when someone is new to a finishing process such as inline creasing or micro perforating on a folding machine. The question frequently starts with, “How do other printers do such-and-such a job?”
It’s only natural to learn about something by finding out how others are doing it in a similar situation. We were taught that way in school. But there is a dark side to learning this way. When we restrict our searches to within our industry, it can actually prevent us from discovering breakthroughs.
When I first saw this question I wondered why a folding machine operator would even ask it. It goes something like, “When I load my folder, where should the guide and gripper edges go?” Or, “Does it matter which way I load paper into a folding machine?” I reminded myself there is a first time for any question, especially learning a complicated subject like bindery work.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get from folding machine operators. One Bindery Success™ reader told us she had been doing a regular mix of jobs without any problems for a long time. One day a bent corner (also called “dog ear”) appears. To answer the question we first need to determine which type of bent corner we’re dealing with.
It’s been said that the best way to learn a subject is to teach it. I discovered this to be true when as a bindery supervisor it fell on me to train new folding machine and bindery equipment operators.
This week we have a video tip to help folder operators with the loading of continuous feed folding machines. Continuous feeders are easy to learn and operate. Yet I’ve seen novice and experienced operators alike suffer big production losses because they were lax in their loading technique.
In last week’s Bindery Success Blog article we talked about how the hidden complexity of paper affects printing and print finishing operations. Sometimes this mysterious fusion of paper, ink, toner, varnishes, coatings, and environment is enough to agitate the best, most experienced bindery equipment operator. Although there isn’t a magic pill to eliminate all post-press paper problems, here are five simple tips that will make your print finishing life easier.
It’s no surprise when newcomers to print finishing are thwarted by its hidden complexity. The simplest of folding jobs can generate all sorts of problems and questions. Heck, after 35 years working around bindery equipment I too am often surprised. When I encounter “simple” paper folding problems with no solution it reminds me what it was like to be an apprentice.
So why does it get so complicated and what can we do to simplify things? After all, most printers work with paper that varies just several thousandths of an inch in thickness.
One effective way to get fresh ideas and inspiration for improving our productivity is to look at other industries. While I was watching a recent video about the latest Red Bull Air Races, it dawned on me that there are several similarities between the printing profession and competitive air racing. Because of the competitive nature of both industries, I figured there was bound to be something we could take away for our own personal and professional use.
The speed at which things happen in bindery equipment sometimes makes it difficult to troubleshoot a problem. But with experience, we learn to follow the clues that problems leave behind. The way a wire stitch is misshapen can tell us what piece of the stitcher head is worn or broken. The location and direction of a bent corner in a folded brochure will lead us to where the problem is happening on a folding machine. The sounds of a folder or a saddle stitcher also help us to find and fix problems.